1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: tip is that when you are working with a new team, 4 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: one of the best icebreakers you can use is for 5 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: everyone to share a tip about how they like to 6 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: work with people. If you have any particular quirks or preferences, 7 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: this is a great time to let people know them. 8 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: And this is a much more useful icebreaker exercise than 9 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: most of the other ones people come up with. Today's tip, 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: like others we've heard in recent weeks, comes from Laura 11 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: May Martin, author of the new book Up Time. She 12 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: was also recently a guest on my other podcast, Best 13 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: of Both Worlds. Martin notes that we all develop ways 14 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: that we like working. It is often helpful if other 15 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: people know about these. For instance, maybe you prefer to 16 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: be asked complicated questions in person rather than by email, 17 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: or maybe you prefer texting to email and phone calls. 18 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: Maybe you have an organization system where it is really 19 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: helpful to get meeting agendas at least a day in advance. 20 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 1: Things get thrown off if you don't have it by then. 21 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: Whatever it is, it is helpful for colleagues or clients 22 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: to know these things, and you probably want to know 23 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: their quirks too. Sharing a tip for working with you 24 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: normalizes being explicit about how you like to interact and work. 25 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: There are some office cultures where it is common for 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: employees to have a personal user manual describing the way 27 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: they work in their norms and preferences and procedures. But 28 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: even for an office culture where having personal user manuals 29 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: is not the norm, and trust me, it is not 30 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: the norm in most offices, I do need to know 31 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: how best to work with each other. Not everyone works 32 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: the same way. Being aware of this can make a 33 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: team a lot more efficient. As for making the one 34 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: tip for working with me concept and icebreaker, well, I 35 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: am sure we have all been in meetings where the 36 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: proposed icebreaker didn't quite hit the mark. Which fruit would 37 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: you prefer to be? People share fun facts that aren't 38 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: particularly fun and might not be factual either. Do you 39 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,839 Speaker 1: really need to know that your colleague once met Will 40 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: Ferrell on the beach A tip for working with your 41 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: colleague is going to be far far more useful. So 42 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: if you are a manager and want to help your 43 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: team work together more happily and efficiently. Or if you 44 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: are an individual contributor and happen to get the opportunity 45 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: to lead an icebreaker, consider asking people to share a 46 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: tip for working with them. If you do, you will 47 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 1: make people more aware of the variety of work habits 48 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: and preferences in your midst and you can become a 49 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: stronger team in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, 50 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Thanks 51 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, 52 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 53 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 54 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, 55 00:03:49,440 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.